Drinkers in Spoons

Drinking first thing in the morning is actually really bad for you.

Firstly, you are likely to be drinking on an empty stomach which makes you drunker quicker.

Secondly, having fasted liquid through the night most people are a little bit dehydrated in the morning and alcohol dehydrates you even more.

Thirdly, unlike evening drinking, which has a natural end, drinking earlier in the day often leads to higher total alcohol consumption, as the day is "open-ended". It also affects your circadian rhythms.

So morning drinking is actually quite different to evening drinking and not in a good way.

I'm not assuming anything, because I typed the words As a hypothetical scenario at the start of the question.

A question you haven't answered, I note.

Same when at the airport at 6am people drinking lol I was happy with my coffee

Beer has been a breakfast beverage for centuries. Tea displaced it for most people by the end of the nineteenth century. It's no more weird than drinking tea or coffee or chocolate (also a breakfast beverage - like coffee it should be bitter). Fashion changes, but not everyone changes their fashion. Also, shift workers are in their 'evening' at 8 a.m. and want, perhaps, a quiet pint and a chat before going home to bed - they can do that at Wetherspoons (I do think the abbreviation 'Spoons' is a bit vulgar btw).
NB Wetherspoons also always do cask ale, and cheaply, which makes it a favourite of CAMRA members.

I mean it's a Saturday so I assume 8am drinkers in Spoons are not driving to the office after their pint.

I am not a day drinker and I think we can assume some of the Spons early crowd are problem drinkers, but seriously the hoiked bosoms of judgement on this thread are hillarious.

Many of them start in the morning.

https://cosyclub.co.uk/whats-on/bottomless-brunch

This one in Manchester starts at 10am, for example.

You mean like how you were in a pub at 8am?

Is this the first time you’ve come across this op?

many people drink first thing in the morning. Alcoholics, night shift workers, insomniacs, those with issues causing it to be a rare thing, people going in a special day out, bit like holiday.

there used to be a little newsagent near me, who sold shots at 7am out the back. It had a queue if alkies outside it every morning.

What about lonely women?

I'm a fan of Wetherspoons. Our local is a beautiful building with nice staff.

I order eggs and mushrooms for breakfast. The eggs are free range. The coffee is lovely and if other people prefer a wine or beer with their breakfast, then good for them.

Spoons aren’t pleasant or relaxing places to be. They’re attractive because they’re cheap and available. They know their niche and they do it very well, but nobody goes to a Spoons for the ambience or great food.

But you're assuming everyone drinking at 8am has those responsibilities and are therefore being negatively affected.

Many people don't live the 9-5 lifestyle.

There really are some avid members of Temperance Societies on MN.

No, our bodies don't.

But as (presumably) adults, our responsibilities and duties change over the 24 hour period. So if you drink enough to experience intoxication, it rather does matter when you're intoxicated.

As a hypothetical scenario, if you rise at 7am and go to bed at 11pm, and you drive to work and back at 8.30am and 5.30pm, which one is most likely to have a negative impact on other people: an 8am alcoholic drink or an 8pm alcoholic drink?

All I will say is that there was far less trouble when we had stricter alcohol licencing laws.
Yet another of Blairs "visions" that went arse over tit 😡

What bottomless brunches start at 8:30? I've been on a few and they were all in the afternoon!

It’s an alcoholics paradise. Not sure what you were expecting tbh.

@Gloriia not everyone but some will. I literally walk past a pub most days that opens at 6am to cater for shift workers.

er? What the fuck are you judging them for? Having an addiction? What has your judgement got to do with anything?

reading this thread it’s clear how completely naive mumsnetters are to how many people are alcohol dependant. Where do you think they get it from?!

(plus of course night shift workers, people going to sports games/ on holiday- I mean when I was a student I’d drink at any hour and wasn’t alcohol dependant)

I had an ex who was an alcoholic.
He has died since of liver disease.
Anyway, he would only drink in the pub. Never at home or anywhere else. Needless to say he spent a lot of time in the pub at any hour of night and day.

I don't drink either, so I'm not trying to justify anything either way.

But why is 11am okay but 8am isn't?

It's a weekend though. On a weekday the majority probably wouldn't be drinking before 11am?

But yeah, it's the last chance saloon of hostelries for retired/unemployed alcoholics. They're just holding onto their drinking still being social as they can afford to attend the pub, but if they're still alive in a few years it'll be cans on the park bench.

But that's kind of half the point of Spoons. You do see people who you think if they weren't in here they'd probably not see or speak to anyone all day. It's kind of a good thing though somewhat depressing. It is a large proportion of their clientele. The types priced out of regular pubs many years ago. It's a bit like a community centre for older men.

Having said that I always find I feel totally comfortable entering and drinking in Spoons alone. Maybe not on a Friday night. But it feels normal to be a solo female in there which is a good thing. I used to do home visits with no car so always wanted somewhere to do my admin in between calls. Even if you're in the minority you feel reassured. You know what to expect.

Anyway how was the breakfast? I don't think I've had one before but it looks alright?

I love breakfast in my local spoons. I have an allergy which they know well, the staff are lovely and the food is great. My son and I have a Pepsi Max (not alcoholic!) and just enjoy being there. A few people have an alcoholic drink with theirs but there’s never been any problem with anyone there, and we go a lot!

Bottomless brunch is usually nearer lunchtime
8am drinkers are likely self medicating against withdrawal

No skin in this game, I dont drink but the endless justification for alcohol is ridiculous